Monster Hunter Wilds Devs Talk About Weapons and the Importance of the Great Sword

In an eight-and-a-half-minute interview with IGN, Monster Hunter devs talked about the importance of the Great Sword gameplay-wise and the re-design of the starting weapons.

Hunters using primitive-like weapons at the start of the game were a staple throughout the Monster Hunter series. However, Monster Hunter Wilds is turning away from that practice. The developers said in an interview that it wouldn’t be right for the players to have such simple weapons because they start as “chosen hunters” in the game.

This resulted in the devs re-designed the starting weapons available in the game. The aim is to make the hunter feel special wearing them despite being starter equipment. They also emphasized how they designed the gameplay design of the Great Sword.

According to them, they consider the Great Sword a great all-rounder weapon. As such, they generally start with designing the Great Sword gameplay-wise first to ensure the weapon feels enjoyable. They cite its unique slow tempo as a reason why it should be one of the weapons to be tackled first.

If they can make a heavy weapon such as Great Sword feel right in an action game, it will be easy for quick tempo weapons like the Dual Blades to be adjusted. Kaname Fujioka, the Executive Director and Art Director of Monster Hunter Wilds, said that “A lot of important elements to Monster Hunter can be found in the Great Sword”.

The devs also mentioned Monster Hunter World’s lack of flavor regarding its weapons. While it was not in the video interview, a piece by IGN reported that all the weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds will have their unique design. This is a breath of fresh air from the boring weapon designs that plagued Monster Hunter World.

Monster Hunter Wilds is an action game currently being developed by Capcom. The game is set to release on February 28, 2025, on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5. Capcom will also hold an open beta test for the game in early February.